Nox-kastali
Also known as "The Black School" and "The First Academy of Magic" Nox-Kastali is a grand and complex labyrinth of a black-stone castle large enough to be considered a town in it's own right. Geography Nox-Kastali was built in the forested mountains of Southern Norway and could be described as primarily Gothic architecturally with medieval influence featuring many pointed towers and connective bridges, most notable oh which are the Northern Towers. One of the most shape defining features of the castle is an enclosed courtyard at the center of the castle grounds which acts as a commons where students gather to socialize and study. There is also an underground network of tunnels and dungeons carved into the stone below the castle. The castle itself is built upon the base of the Blackstone Mountains from which a deep crag and river bisect the castle grounds complicating Nox-Kastali's Layout. The castle proper hosts a Library, Health Center, Dining Hall, Observatory, and well over a hundred class rooms. Many of the rooms on it's upper-most floors are dedicated to professor offices. The castle and it's towers are also home to the student body hosting the dormitories and common rooms for each of the four houses. The dungeons below are expansive and much of what they contain is unknown to the student body. Most traffic in the dungeons is to and from store rooms and even a few class rooms such as the Alchemy lab. It is known that part of the dungeons lead into a naturally formed caverns, however the main entrance to these caverns are locked behind powerful doors, however it is said their are other ways into the caverns. The deepest parts of the dungeons are said to contain reliquaries, the contents of which are largely speculated upon; guesses ranging from from strange technologies to eldritch artifacts. Following a lightly wooded path winding down a slopping hill towards a lake to the north of the castle is a large semi-circular amphitheater where the graduation ceremonies are held, as well as many other traditions such as the aeromancy games. East of the castle is a section of maintained woods and clearing as well as a long tower at the border of the Veiled Forest which surrounds the clearing. These grounds are host to a number of classes such as Beastiology and Herbology as well as a common meeting place for students and organisations. Finally to the west of the castle is the Blackstone Mountains, a monolithic feature that raises sharply into the sky. Schattenberg Nestled in the shadows of the northern front of the castle just below a rocky incline is a village of tightly constructed buildings forming winding cobblestone streets that cross under ivy choked bridges and overhanging buildings. This small village of Schattenberg is home to some of the schools graduates, as well as mundane humans who have chosen to live within the world of witchcraft, forsaking their old lives by some circumstance other another. Most of the denizens of the town work as vendors that caters to the academy, selling such things as simple foci, books, reagents and cosmetics. Additionally there is also a couple taverns and theaters for entertainment. However not all of the town is centered around the academy, both the Witch-Hunters and the Enforcers have holdings in a part of the town called the Umbral Circle, named so after it's construction just beneath a larger rocky overhang that casts a perpetual shadow over the cul-de-sac of official buildings. Student Life Nox-Kastali as the first Academy of the Arcane Arts founded and follows the standard academic curriculum for arcanists. Outside of classes students are engaged with a wide variety of entertainment, social, and extra-curricular opportunities. In addition to these there are countless mysteries and legends to discover about the ancient school of magic for those with a sense of adventure or a streak of interesting luck. New Students New students arrive outside of Schattenberg where they are instructed to visit Loki's Foci if they do not already have a foci of their own. They are also instructed to visit The Second Quill to pick up any books they may need for their first year studies as well as the aptly named Haberdashery to collect an appropriate outfit for the opening meetings that adheres to the school's Codes of Conduct. After being given a few hours to collect their affairs and familiarize themselves with Schattenberg the gates to the castle are opened the students gather in the Dining Halls to feast and fraternize as the opening ceremonies began. During this time every student is placed into one of the Great Houses. The Great Houses Valravn. Members of House Valravn are recognizable by the dark violet accents of their uniforms. The house itself is known for the virtues of Curiosity, Creativity, ''and ''Adaptability. ''Often they are seen as the most serious natured and academically driven of the houses, speaking only when they have something to contribute to a topic. They have a historical feud with House (Kraken). They also often have disagreements with the approaches and methods used by House (Dragon). Kraken. Members of House ... are recognizable by the dark green accents of their uniforms. The house itself is known for the virtues of ''Ambition, Guile, ''and ''Resolve. Often they are seen as the most infamous and notorious house, prone to bend the rules to stack the deck in their favor. They hold a historical feud with House Valravn who have on more than one occasion suggested that House ... have it's virtues simplified to Machiavellian. They also often see House (dragon) as a self-righteous nuisance due to their more judicially upstanding nature. Phoenix. Members of House ... are recognizable by the orange accents of their uniforms. The house itself is known for the virtues of Perseverance, Life, ''and ''Energy. Often they are seen as sparky and excitable, if even shy and unassuming. They are known to typically prefer the company of the studious House Valravn as House (Dragon) can be loud and boisterous and House (Kraken) tend to be disconcerting. Dragon. Members of House ... are recognizable by the crimson accents of their uniforms. The house itself is known for the virtues of Courage'', Boldness, and ''Honor. Often they are seen as upstanding, at least as far as the school rules are concerned, though (Dragons) have been known to occashionally produce bullies. They are known for being loud and boisterous often to annoyance of House Valravn. They also often find themselves in confrontations with House (Kraken) when the rules get in the way of success. Dormitories Nox-Kastali provides housing for all of it's students. The dormitory they will live in is dependent upon the Great House they are a part of, however all of the dormitories share a set of standard features such as being co-ed, having individual and shared bedrooms, as well as common rooms, washrooms, and smaller libraries and reliquaries for housing House awards and accolades. Secondary and Post-Secondary students are often housed in separate hallways or floors within the same dormitory. Students generally spend their first year in shared housing before finding a personal room of their own. Organisations Organisations are officially endorsed and funded clubs and activities within the campus. Some organisations even engage in competitive games with the other schools. The most well known and popularized organisation is the Varsity Aeromancy team which is offered as a extra-curricular course to those who qualify. In addition to this organisation the academy also hosts organisations for: * Arcane Dueling. * Saber Fencing. Societies Societies are similar to Academy Organisations in that the members often meet and interact with relative frequency. However the key difference between the two is that societies are not officially endorsed or organised by the academy and often also include a level of occult mentality as a part of the membership requirements such as belief in or subscription to an ideology, philosophy, or faith. The commonly known societies on the grounds of Nox-Kastali are: * The Silver Mirror. Secret Societies There are also lesser known, if not entirely obscured or outright criminal societies. The reason a society might choose to operate secretly is typically nefarious and often the discovery of membership to such a society means expulsion or worst. However, with the notable danger of joining one such society also comes great opportunity as many of these groups have discovered and practice esoteric magics. * The Elder Court. * The Black Throne. * Children of the First Mother. * The Coven of the Howling Veil. History The Foundation of the Coven Concordance occurred within the grand meeting rooms of Nox-Kasali.